Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever, leading to a surge in new podcasts and livestreams for fans to enjoy. Over time some have ended or gone on hiatus leaving new fans wondering where to start looking for up-to-date streams and podcasts. Several streams stand out amongst the many on offer, which is a good starting point for those looking for something fun and new.
There are so many ways for fans to enjoy tabletop D&D online, and as technology has improved, the game has moved beyond its pen and paper roots. Players from around the world can come together to play using sites such as Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds. But streaming games for others to enjoy has also grown in popularity, giving rise to some fantastic D&D shows that give even those without a dedicated gaming group the chance to enjoy what D&D has to offer.
With so many ways to engage with D&D content, many more people have started playing. But everyone's game is unique to them, and their friends and D&D streams and podcasts offer glimpses of how other people play the game. Here are some of the best campaigns for D&D players to enjoy.
Critical Role Is The Quintessential D&D Livestream Campaign
It would be impossible to talk about D&D livestreams and podcasts without talking about Critical Role. Seen by many now as the premier D&D show, Critical Role started life as a home game with friends. Having started on Geek & Sundry in 2015, Critical Role has since moved on to create its own company branching out into books, comics, and even an animated series.
Set in the homebrew world of Exandria, Critical Role is presently in its third campaign, which started October 21, 2021. The cast is comprised of talented and well-known voice actors such as Laura Bailey, Liam O'Brien, and Ashley Johnson, making for some genuinely fantastic roleplay. Critical Role's episodes are on the longer side, ranging from three to five hours, but when watching the group, the time flies by with lots of in-jokes alongside tense, dramatic moments.
Critical Role streams D&D with Matt Mercer every Thursday at 7pm (PST) on Twitch, with VODs immediately available on Twitch for subscribers. The episodes are ed to YouTube the following Monday with podcasts then available the Thursday after the episode was streamed. The cast's current band of misfits doesn't yet have a party name, but D&D fans have grown to love them for their genuine ion for the game.
High Rollers Is A Homebrew D&D Livestream Created By Mark Hulmes
High Rollers is a long-running D&D campaign set in the homebrew world of Aerois. The cast is hilarious, helmed by Dungeon Master Mark Hulmes, with some fantastic roleplaying moments through the campaign's four-year run. Sometimes called the "UK version of Critical Role," this does High Rollers a disservice, as the show is excellent in its own right without the comparison. High Rollers is packed full of vibrant characters and is humorous and heartwarming in equal measure. The D&D party's story is helpfully split into chapters, making it easy for new people to in and helpful for long-term viewers to keep track. Aerois streams every Sunday at 5pm (GMT) on Twitch, and part one of the podcast is released on Mondays. Part two goes up on Spotify on Thursdays and the episode on Youtube.
Dimension 20 Is A Creative D&D Livestream Powerhouse
Dimension 20 has had many different D&D shows, all of which can be found on its YouTube channel and Spotify. Past campaigns include Fantasy High, Dimension 20's debut campaign set in a high school, and Escape From the Bloodkeep, a short campaign where the cast played evil characters. Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan does a brilliant job balancing comedy, emotional drama, and cast shenanigans.
What Dimension 20 does best is combining engaging storylines with humor and fantastic casts. Dimension 20 streams their RPG tabletop liveplays to watch on Dropout every Wednesday and has just started a new campaign, A Starstruck Odyssey, on January 25. D&D fans who are sticklers for the rules might find Dimension 20 more difficult to adjust to as the show prioritizes fun over the rules every time.
Rivals Of Waterdeep Rotates Its D&D DM For Maximum Fun
Rivals of Waterdeep began life as part of the Stream of Many Eyes event in 2018. Since their formation, the cast has changed a few times, but the Rivals are still going strong. The cast is full of gamers and comedians, all people of color from Chicago. The group rotates the Dungeon Master role through the cast, each bringing a unique favor to their time behind the screen. Rivals of Waterdeep’s campaign is based in the Forgotten Realms and stream their D&D game on Twitch every Sunday at 12pm (CST), with their latest season starting February 6th. They host their podcasts on the Rivals of Waterdeep site and episodes on Tuesdays to YouTube. Rivals of Waterdeep is wonderfully funny, clever, and a great example of the D&D community at its best.
Not Another D&D Podcast Is Just That
The fantastically named Not Another D&D Podcast is a wonderfully funny show packed with a cast of writers and comedians. The show is a mix of action and comedy, and D&D fans will enjoy the brilliant storytelling with some surprisingly emotional moments. With episodes averaging an hour and a half long, the show is accessible for first-time listeners.
Not Another D&D Podcast stands out among the many on offer as it often feels like simply listening to a community of friends playing D&D, which makes it easy to get drawn in and attached to the cast and characters. Dungeon Master Brian Murphy is ed by Jake Hurwitz, Emily Axford, and Caldwell Tanner, and the cast launched campaign three on January 13th, 2022. New episodes of Not Another D&D Podcast are released on Fridays and are available on Spotify, along with all previous episodes.
The Dungeons And Daddies Podcast Takes D&D To The Land Of Dads
Dungeons and Daddies might sound like a BDSM podcast, but it is actually a brilliant D&D show. The original campaign was about a group of dads from our world who were pulled into another dimension and their adventures to rescue their children. The show works so well as it requires no previous knowledge of D&D to enjoy as listeners learn about this new fantasy world alongside the characters. This makes Dungeons and Daddies perfect for D&D beginners to start with.
New episodes of Dungeons and Daddies are released every other Tuesday on Spotify, and the cast has just started season two. In this new campaign, which began January 25th, the grandchildren of the original daddies embark on a quest to rescue their dads. Dungeons and Daddies is great for people wanting laugh-out-loud moments; there are so many dad jokes alongside some genuinely emotional story beats.
Roll Together Is A Lesser-Known D&D Livestream Gem
The Roll Together team is another group based in the UK and is one of the smaller streams mentioned here. The funny and talented cast stream TTRPGs on fun D&D one-shots. Because of this diversity, people are sure to find something to their taste as the games played often cover a variety of genres. D&D streams are available immediately on YouTube and as podcasts on various platforms.
There are many other D&D shows that have not been mentioned here, but these livestreams and podcasts stand out due to their quality and storytelling. There has never been more choice for D&D fans looking for shows to listen to or watch. D&D podcasts and livestreams are a good way for people new to Dungeons & Dragons to get a feel of how playing really works.
Source: Critical Role (2), High Rollers (2, 3), Dimension 20, Rivals of Waterdeep (2, 3), Not Another D&D Podcast, Dungeons and Daddies, Roll Together (2)
